


The Match

by Burningchaos



Category: Roswell (TV 1999)
Genre: Challenge Response, F/F, F/M, Imported
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-09-02
Updated: 2004-09-02
Packaged: 2019-09-23 05:37:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17074385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burningchaos/pseuds/Burningchaos
Summary: The match up game. Find your perfect match.





	The Match

**Author's Note:**

> From Roswell Fanatics, really old and not beta read.

“Oh my God! Liz, did you get this test?” Maria shouted as she runs her cedar oil under her nose. “Can you believe this? What if I get some loser or worse… Michael? I mean, we broke up but what if we are perfect for each other? I would freak.” 

“Maria, you need to calm down and breathe. Slow deep breaths,” Liz advised calmly, even though she had a similar fear of being matched with Max. He would never go away then and he was just starting to move on. 

“But Liz, did you look at these questions?” 

“Yes, Maria, I did. And there is no way they will put you with Michael. You have nothing in common.” Liz leaned against her locker, glad the day was over. 

Just then Max came over to them holding the dreaded personality test in hand. 

“Hey Liz, Maria. I see you got yours too. Who do you think you’ll be matched with?” 

“With my luck Michael or Kyle,” Maria replied as they started walking towards the parking lot, still breathing in the cedar oil. 

“Maria it’s not that bad, it could be fun.” 

“Yeah, sure. You would say that Parker,” Michael remarked as he walked up behind them. 

“Hey, Spaceboy.” 

“Damn it, Maria. Stop calling me that!” Michael shouted in annoyance, stalking off to Max’s jeep. 

“Nice job Maria. That took 2.5 seconds this time.” 

“Max, be nice,” Liz warned. 

“Oh Maria, I fixed it so you and Michael don’t have to work together for awhile.” 

“Thanks Liz,” Maria said gratefully as they got into the Jetta. 

“Later, Liz,” Max waved, walking towards Michael and Isabel. 

“Bye Max.” 

“Can you believe these questions?” Maria ranted to the gang an hour later. 

It was slow at The Crashdown today and they were all filling out their tests. Max, Iz, Michael and Tess sat in there booth while Alex, Liz and Kyle were by the counter. 

“Yeah,” Tess piped up. “Who cares whether the guy is romantic or not as long as he can hold as conversation up I am in! ?” 

“These are really going to match us with our perfect date. They are great questions.”Alex say excitedly, still hoping to be matched to Isabelle. 

Everyone nodded in agreement as Maria starts to read off some of the questions. 

“What type of music and movies do you like?” 

“Where are you more comfortable?” 

“Why do you standout?”

“Are you a dating predator or prey?” 

Everyone laughed as Tess growled and then purred in her best flirtatious voice, “Predator baby.” 

“Do you prefer to rent a movie or go out to one?” 

Isabelle looked up from the paper. “I think I am looking forward to this. Plus, we all need to go shopping for the dance. We have less than a week and a half.” 

“Yeah,” replied Maria while Liz and the guys rolled their eyes. “Today is Monday these are due Wednesday and we find out next Wednesday who our match is.” 

Alex says “That isn’t much time at all.” 

Just then Emily Martin, the new girl, walked in. 

She was a different kind of pretty, her nose was small, her eyes too big behind her glasses but it was her body and hair that stood out. She was 5’4 and had the body of a model.Plus her hair was a wonderful shade of auburn. She walked over to the counter and sat down; Maria got up to take her order. 

“I’ll have a Will Smith, Space rings and a coke.” 

“Okay.” 

As Emily the started on her questionnaire like everyone else, she never noticed Kyle staring at her.

While the gang was at the CrashDown, Pam Troy was lying on her bed trying to think of the answers Max would put down. He was so hot and she had wanted him since she first minute she saw him. Pam never understood what he saw in that mousy Liz Parker, but she had decided that this was the perfect opportunity to get her hands on him. So with a sly smile on her face, she started to fill out her questionnaire. 

Tate Donavon knew Tess; he also knew that she was single, which suited him fine since he had a thing for her. Not that she knew he was alive. Tate was a nice boy, a good student, he ran track, and was no slouch in the looks department. He had thick brown hair, wonderful blue eyes and a killer smile, at least that was what his ex had always said. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t seem to approach Tess. She made him more nervous than any girl had before. So Tate, being the good boy that he was, filled out his test honestly, unlike Pam. 

~*~ 

The next two days passed by quickly, and all anyone could talk about was the test, most importantly who they did or didn’t want to get. Some compared answers to make sure they got paired. The second biggest question was why would it take so long and did they have the patience to wait? Over all, the entire mood was anxious at the school and at The CrashDown. 

Isabelle was leaving the school and her hoard had just left when Alex appeared, in her eyes, he looked good, as he always did   
.   
Not that she would ever tell him. He knew too much about her, what she thought and the things she was hiding. She also knew if she were honest with herself she was more than half in love with him. That would never do, she knew she couldn’t hide anything from Alex. 

“So, you will never believe what I heard,” Alex began. 

Isabelle smiled at his mood. “Hey Alex, what did you hear?” 

“You can’t tell Max, you have to promise.” 

She rolled her eyes in amusement. “Okay, tell me.” 

“I over heard Pam Troy saying she put down answers that were sure to match her with Max!” 

Iz whirled towards Alex with a giddy smile “You’re kidding me!” 

“Nope, I swear, that’s what she said.” 

“Oh, that would be so rich. And he so deserves it, too,” Isabelle commented as she threw her head back and laughed. 

Alex was thrown once again by the alien girl’s beauty and her love for life. He wished he would match with her so he could finally prove to her they should be together. So he could show her that he loved her as much as he said he did, and prove to her that she was, in his eyes, wonderful. 

~*~ 

Later That Night …. 

Liz and Michael were closing the CrashDown. It had been a busy night and Liz was beat. She also had a lot left to do, so she started to get to work when she felt Michael staring at her. 

“Hey, Liz.” 

Liz raised a mental eyebrow at that; he never called her anything but Parker anymore. 

“I, ah, just wanted to say… thanks for getting Maria and I different shifts, I ah ...” 

“It’s cool. I know you two are on an ‘off’ phase again so you both need space, no pun intended.” Liz laughed a little as she said this. 

Michael’s face was serious as always as he said “No, this time it’s over.” 

Liz was stunned at his harsh tone and right there decided to help him. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his arm as he had turned back to cleaning the grill. 

Her voice was concerned and sympathetic. “Michael I know we aren’t close and I am best friends with Maria, but you do know that I am here if you ever want to talk.” 

Michael had stilled underneath her touch and was once again awed by the generosity of Liz’s heart, which was the problem; he was starting to fall for her, hard. 

He turned toward her and looked at her face, searching for pity and finding none, so he nodded and replied, “Yeah that might be nice sometime, you know it can go both ways if you want to talk about Max.” 

Liz nodded also grateful that he had accepted, she desperately wanted to be closer to him, but hadn’t known how to do it. “That might be nice too.” 

Liz walked out to the dining area and is unaware that he is still watching her. 

 

At the Valenti household, however, things were far from quiet. Tess was so pissed that Kyle had been staring at Emily Martin all week and was now in a rage. Everything was far game now, even Buddha.

Tess screamed at Kyle again, this time about his stupid dirty socks being left all over the place, because by god if he wanted them washed he needed to put them in the laundry basket. She was not his slave. 

Kyle shook his head in frustration wondering again what was bothering the petite alien girl he had come to think of as family, and went to pick up his socks. The next thing he knew he had his meditation incense being thrown at him. 

“This shit is smelling up the whole room get rid of it, and can you get Buddha out of here he is starting to creep me out?”   
Now Kyle is a patient guy and since he found Buddha even more so but this was starting to push his buttons, nobody messed with his Buddha. 

He flung open the door and yelled at Tess “What the hell crawled up your ass tonight, I haven’t done anything and all you have done is yell at me or insult me!” 

Tess looked at Kyle her big blue eyes were filled with anger that he couldn’t understand. She was in a rage and he didn’t know why. 

She stood in the center of the small room silently; her entire body shaking with jealous rage, the anger was building because Kyle had no clue, because he was so oblivious to what was right in front of him. Tess wasn’t sure how she had gotten so angry but it felt good to yell at him, to scream out all the hurt she was feeling so she decided to really let him have it. She move so quickly he couldn’t stop her, suddenly she was yelling “I am in love with you, you jerk and all week you have been staring at that Emily girl. I live with you and you can’t see how I feel? What the hell is wrong with you?” She had picked up the statue of Buddha during this rant and had now decided to launch it at Kyle. 

Kyle to give him credit was fast but not so fast to save his beloved Buddha statue and he barely had time to duck. He was just about to go off on Tess when she threw herself on her (his) bed and started to sob. He was not sure what to do but knew he had to tell her the truth about how he felt. 

He sat down on the bed next to her attentively and placed his hand on her shaking back, she tense at his touch. Kyle cleared his throat and started “Well see Tess it is like this, I love you too...” 

She looks up at him suddenly with tear filled eyes. 

“But it is more like a sister cause you have become my family, I can’t think about you that way while anymore.” 

Her beautiful blue eyes start to fill with wonder as she replies “a sister?” she starts to sit up as she speaks. Her deepest desire was that for a brother, it was always what she wanted.even more than she had wanted Max. 

“Yeah well think about it Tess do you really want to sleep with me?” 

She hesitates and then slowly answers “No, no Kyle I don’t” 

“Then think about what you really feel, you love dad like a father right, you never had one but you knew how to recognize that, right?” 

“Yes” she says a little more firmly, “that’s because of how he is though, until him I have never been loved. Nasedo was incapable of showing any affection toward me. Plus it was always destiny this destiny that.” 

Kyle’s face was filled with love as her talked trying to make her understand how she really felt “Now think about me vs what you feel for another hot guy and tell me it isn’t different.” 

Tess was amazed; she was always underestimating Kyle’s intelligence, “You are right, you are my brother.”   
She throws herself at him this time and hugs him, her voice filled with love “I always wanted a brother, and well I love you jerk.”   
“I love you too Barbie.” He says as they both start to laugh, now happy and secure in their relationship.

Max and Isabelle were always close, and they were closer than most siblings because of the secrets they shared, because they spent their whole lives hiding. That is why while they were playing cards, Isabelle decided have the conversation she had promised Liz she would have with him. 

“So… who are you hoping to get, you never did tell me?” Isabelle asked, trying to casually drop in the conversation. 

Max’s tone was deadly serious. “Liz, of course. I love her, and that will make her see we are meant to be.” 

“Have you even looked at other girls in school?” 

“No, why would I? I’ve always loved Liz, she’s perfect.” 

“That’s what I mean. Are you in love with her or are you just in the habit of loving her? And no one is perfect, Max.” 

Max stilled and pondered the question for a few minutes before replying. “I’m… I’m actually not sure, Iz. But I promise to think about it. I do have strong feelings for her, I can’t seem to think about any other girls.” 

“There is no other girl you think is hot?” 

“Okay… don’t laugh but I’ve always thought Maria was pretty, too.” 

“Really? I would have never guessed her.” Isabelle’s tone was shocked. 

Satisfied that she had fulfilled her quest, she promptly kicked Max’s ass at gin. 

Then they decided to go to the movies. 

~*~ 

Alex and Maria were best friends. It seemed they always had been. They a deep abiding friendship, it was a rare and beautiful thing. They were able to share everything with one another, and often did. The only person who knew Maria and Alex as well as they knew each other was Liz. 

“I am so sick of this.” 

“Sick of what, Alex?” Maria asked curiously. 

“Dancing around Iz. If we don’t get matched I don’t know what to do. I love her, Maria. I look at her and see my future and it could be so bright. With her in it, if she isn’t well I know that I’ll never be happy. She’s the one. I’m writing her a song,” Alex confided as he was, as usual, playing with his guitar. 

Maria sighed inaudible at the romantic gesture. “Really?” 

“Yeah, I needed to put on paper how I felt so …” 

“Alex, you two have been doing this for so long… give it up. These aliens? They just aren’t worth it.” 

“Maria…” 

“Okay, at least Michael isn’t. You know what? Let’s skip the alien talk and go rent a movie, we need a break. What do you say?” 

“Alright,” Alex agreed in a falsely chipper tone, his mind still on Isabelle and her song, which was already forming inside of him. 

~*~ 

Pam was in heaven. She had that dirty little conversation running around in her head and was playing it up for all it was worth. She had promptly called anyone who would listen and tell them her version of what happened with Maria and Tess. Her version, however, involved more than yelling and a real kiss. Everyone was soaking it up and Pam couldn’t wait to see what would happen. 

Plus, she had a new outfit to wear to school to try to tempt Max. 

~*~ 

Liz and Michael were closing again, when Michael asked Liz a question. “You told us all about future Max and what happened in his time frame right?” 

His tone was slightly puzzled, as Liz turned to look at him and was suddenly very nervous. “Yes,” she replied. 

“So, Tess is happier now and doesn’t want him. And she isn’t going to leave, so why break it off?” 

“We are being honest and that’s why I’ll tell you the truth.” 

Michael’s interest was piqued. “Yeah, spill.” 

“I just don’t love him anymore. I used to be his world. I couldn’t breathe when he would walk in the room and it went away when he was gone. I was starting to feel dead inside; suffocated by this image he has of me. I needed to get away from him and I hated to lie when I saw how much it had hurt the group, so I just… told everyone.” 

“So you don’t feel like you lost out with him anymore?” 

“No. In fact, I am looking forward to this match up to see if I get a great guy.” 

Michael was secretly hoping he would be her match. Everyday they spent together he fell more in love, but he knew she was out of his reach. 

“I hope you do, too.” 

Liz’s face fell at his words. That was not the response Liz had hoped for but … at least they were friends now. Liz was hoping that Michael would be her match; inside she knew she was too boring for him. He’d dated Maria, who was very different from Liz. 

They were just too different.

 

The week passed quickly with not much else happening. The biggest topics were the test, Tess and Maria’s supposed smack down, and the track meet that the school won. 

Tate and Emily were become fast friends, and through Isabelle she was meeting all sorts of people. As a matter of fact, she was going shopping with Iz, Maria, Tess and Liz this coming Saturday, something Emily was very much looking forward to. 

Michael spent the week avoiding Maria, not because he still loved her but because she irritated the shit out of him. She was always calling him Spaceboy and he hated it. She was also always ragging on him about everything he ever did wrong. 

Liz was another story. He wanted to be as near to her as possible. She was becoming more than a friend in his eyes. Hell, he was already half in love with her. She was so generous and kind, always so concerned about him. No one had ever been so attentive to his feelings before. He didn’t know what to say or do, he just kept hoping that somehow she would feel the same way. 

~*~ 

Pam was giddy with excitement. Tomorrow she would find out if she matched with Max like she had planned. She had already mapped out what to wear to school, making sure it would show off her assets. She fell asleep dreaming of Max and the things she would like to do to him. 

~*~ 

Tess and Kyle spent the week cementing their new relationship. Kyle loved that she saw him the way he saw her. Tess had even found him a new Buddha statue to replace the one she had broken to pieces. He loved playing the over protective brother, and Tess loved being an over protective sister. All in all, they were happy being siblings. 

~*~ 

Max had talked to Isabelle about their conversation earlier in the week because he had been unable to get it out of his mind. He rolled her question around in his head until he knew she was right. He didn’t love Liz the way he used to. It was a shadow, a dim memory of what it had been. He loved her but was no longer in love with her, and that was a very big difference. 

Isabelle was happy that he saw the light but had her own problems. She could no longer deny the fact she loved Alex Whitman and that disturbed her greatly. Alex was everything she wanted, but he always knew what she felt and wanted. It was like he was in her soul, a big part of her. She was unable to see how he didn’t know how she felt but always thought that was why he was so persistent. She just didn’t know what to do. 

 

While Isabelle was so upset about Alex it would have eased her mind to know Alex was in the same state. He was so worked up about the test results that he couldn’t sleep, so he spent the time working on her song. He named it ‘The Laughter and The Tears’. He didn’t think he would ever show it to her, though. It bared his soul, it gave away everything. And since she didn’t want him he wasn’t about to rip his heart out by having her hear it and reject him. 

~*~ 

Maria was being Maria. She was so nervous about the test she was using all her mother’s grief relief and cedar oil. She knew who she didn’t want and could never admit who she did; she thought Liz would kill her. But in her eyes, Max was the perfect boyfriend, everything Michael wasn’t. He was romantic, sensitive and he knew how to treat a girl. She secretly wanted to be matched with him but held out little hope. 

~*~ 

As Liz was writing in her journal, she thought about her last few days with Michael.   
She thought about how little everyone truly knew about him. He was smart and had an amazing, but unique, sense of humor. She had even seen him smile and God was that beautiful. She didn’t know what to do; she was in love with her best friend’s ex, her ex’s best friend. It broke all the rules but …he was so deep inside her heart already she felt like dying at the thought of never being with him. She knew she could never do anything about it; her only hope was the test. 

~*~ 

All of them fell asleep that night thinking about who they wanted and dreamed about the dance.

It was Wednesday and the excitement in the air was a tangible thing, you could taste it. There was chatter everywhere and no one could sit still, they were too nervous to. 

At the end of the day they were supposed to go pick up a letter from the office telling them who their match was. 

Liz, Maria, Alex and the Pod squad were all waiting in line when Max heard a high pitched squeal.   
“Oh Max you and I are matched, I always knew you were perfect for me.” She ran to him and latched herself to his arm. Her outfit was impossible, the shirt she was wearing looked like it belonged to a toddler it was so small and in primary colors, which covered her skirt too. 

Max yanked his arm away from her as he said “There has to be some sort of mistake her Pam, we have nothing in common.”   
“But it says so right here in my letter Max and theses are supposed to be perfect.” 

The rest of the gang was having a hard time not laughing at Max’s obvious distress. His face and ears had turned red; it was almost to funny to see. 

Kyle came up to them as they were almost next and budged in line, when they got to the front the each got their letters and went to the parking lot. They all agreed to open them at the same time. 

Maria and Tess screamed at the same time, their faces pale and distressed. Maria looked at Tess and grabbed her letter, everyone gasped at the rudeness, but Maria screamed again, cracked out her grief relief drank the whole bottle the practically shove the bottle of cedar oil up her nose. Tess was starting to shake with anger as she fumed “This is ridiculous, there is now way that freaked out, overstressed girl is my perfect match.” 

Everyone tried not to laugh as Tess said Maria was her Match that was Funnier than Max and Pam Troy. Maria started to cry as Liz and Alex patted her back and tried to comfort her. She sobbed “I couldn’t get a nice guy no I get alien Barbie, I am not even gay, and does this mean I am gay? There has to be a mistake here” 

“Ya Think” replies Tess snottily “ There is no way I am your match I am going to find out what the hell is going on!” and stomped off. 

Maria was sobbing and Michael thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen, in his mind payback was a bitch and nobody deserved it more than Maria right now. 

Max decided to try to help “Maria it will be a right there has to be a mistake it will all be ok.” 

“Like you and Pam Troy will?” 

Isabelle snickered and Alex gave her a hard look as he and Liz lead Maria away. 

Pam was standing next to Max watching all this happen thinking she couldn’t wait to get home to call her friends. 

Max decided to change the subject when he heard Michael swear, “Son of a Bitch.” 

”What who did you get?” Isabelle, Max, Kyle, and Pam all ask at once. Michael tries not to smile as he looks at the piece of paper that has just given him his heart’s desire…Liz. 

“I ah ...got Liz.” he whispered 

“WHAT!” Max Yelled. 

Michael still stunned didn’t even answer he just stated off into space and started to walk home already planning what he would say to Liz at work tonight. 

Max was still sputtering and Pam was fuming over his reaction but didn’t want to leave all this gossip was just to juicy so she stuck around to find out what was next and she didn’t have to wait long. 

A soft “Oh my God” came from Isabelle’s lips as she went pale, Max and Kyle rushed to her side with concern. She looked up at Max her Eyes wide with fear, as she couldn’t even form a sentence. 

Max started to get scared “Iz who is it, what is wrong?” 

”Yeah Iz come on it can’t be that bad, tell us.” 

“Its, it’s Alex, my match is Alex” 

Max couldn’t understand the problem, but Kyle did right away. Who knew Iz better, who was the only one who could break through to that frozen heart that she was so afraid to thaw…Alex. 

He started to say something but Isabelle started to run off to the jeep. 

Pam was watching all this stunned, everyone had forgotten she was here and she was unable to see the problem. 

Max was about to go after his sister when Kyle stopped him “Give her some time alone, she needs it.’ 

”Are you sure cause” 

Kyle cuts him off and says “Trust me man she’ll be ok” 

‘Alright, so who did you get?” 

Kyle smiled and said “Exactly who I wanted!” 

“Well at least someone did!” 

”Hey that’s not nice!” 

“Well Pam who ever said I was nice, at least to you?” 

Pam mutters “To hell with you” and stalks off. 

Kyle laughs “Thank God that is not my woman!” 

Max punches him lightly in the arm and goes “So who is?” 

“Emily Martin”

Tess screamed in frustration. She couldn’t believe that she had been paired with Maria Deluca of all people. Not to mention she was a she. When she had gone to the office they said it had to have been a glitch but there was no way to fix it and weren’t her and Maria friends? 

No! Maria hated her. Now here she was paired with that… that thing that always panicked and freaked. Great, life really blew. Tess was pulling on her curls as she tried to think of a way out of this when the phone rang, 

“Hello,” she answered it curtly. 

“It’s me, Can you believe this shit? I mean you and me a pair? Get real!” 

“Oh I know it is a farce.” 

Then, to get rid of her and to be more than a little perverse, Tess changed her tone to a flirtatious timbre. “But you know Maria, I always thought you were kinda hot.” 

“EW!” 

Tess was met with the dial tone as Maria hung up. 

Tess rolled over on the bed and laughed, feeling better and already thinking that this might be just a little fun after all.

Isabelle always felt alone. She had her brothers, the others in the “I know an alien” club and her fake friends, but underneath it… she was alone. 

Her loneness was a tangible thing, it set her apart from the others, it was a safety net, a wall she used to protect herself. Now, though, it was threatened. She knew that it wouldn’t be able to resist another direct assault from Alex. 

She loved him, she knew that but she didn’t understand how or why he loved her. He knew what she was, all of it, how could he love that when she wasn’t even sure she could love herself? She never asked to be so different, to be anything less than normal. Why would a guy as wonderful as Alex want to be with a hybrid like her when he could have a whole human was beyond her. She wasn’t about to let him in just so he could hurt her. The ice princess was in full shopping mode. She needed the perfect dress. Sexy, remote, untouchable, everything she was. 

Alex was exhausted. He felt he should get combat payment for calming down Maria, especially after what the phone call to Tess did. He knew Tess was messing with Maria; she was just too easy a mark. He was thrilled too, though. He matched with Isabelle and now he had to figure out a plan of attack, a way to make her see that they need to be together, because this was the last time he was going to try. 

This was his last chance. 

~*~ 

Max was still in shock. He was reeling from the results of the match up. 

Pam Troy his perfect match? Pam Troy?!?! 

There had to be a mess up similar to Maria and Tess’s. There was no way that a whore like Pam and he had anything in common. She was just so distasteful and trashy. Could she even hold a decent conversation that didn’t begin with “You won’t believe what I heard?” 

Max’s head was shaking he was just so puzzled. He was also worried about Isabelle. She went to her room when they got home and had yet to make a sound or come out. He was also unsure about how he felt about Michael matching with Liz. His change of feelings was still new to him, and it was Michael, his brother. 

To say that Pam was happy was putting it mildly. Her plan was falling into place, and Max would be hers soon and to hell with all his friends and what they thought. Max would be hers. So she was planning on what outfit to wear to the dance when her phone rang. 

~*~ 

Liz almost fainted with joy when she read her match. She pulled herself together though, and wondered how to tell Maria. She also wondered what working with Michael would be like tonight. She knew that this was her one chance, fate had thrown them together, there would be no better time than now to tell him she was in love with him. 

Michael, for the first time, was nervous about going to work. Liz was there. What if she didn’t want him? What if she was upset they had matched or worse what if she was polite about it? He paced the room knowing he had to leave soon or be late, but couldn’t bring himself to walk out the door yet. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, the hell with that yes he did and he marched out the door to work.

Emily Martin was exited and nervous; she got Kyle Valenti, Kyle that handsome, sweet Buddha lovin guy she had been eyeing. It had to be fate. She wasn’t sure what to do now so she decided to call the person who had rapidly become her best friend, Tate. She throws herself into a comfy chair as the phone rings.   
“Hello.”   
“Tate it’s me.”   
“Oh hey Em.”   
“I got Kyle can you believe it?” he voice rapid and excited.   
“Are you serious, that is great, I am psyched for you.”   
“Who did you get?”   
”Some girl I don’t even know, her name is Melanie Potts, I have no clue what she looks like or anything.”   
“Oh Tate I am so sorry I know how you wanted to match with Tess.”   
“Naw it is cool, maybe it is for the best ya know she is just too perfect.”   
“Tess is not perfect!”   
“You know what I mean.”   
Emily laughs and replies “Yeah I do.”   
“I got to go Em I’ll see you later at the Crash Down ok?”   
“Ok later” 

~*~ 

Kyle was exited too, and had he know that Emily was excited as he was it would have made it even better. He liked her the second her saw her, she was without a doubt the perfect girl for him. She even loved Buddha. Her auburn hair, her green eyes even those cute little glasses all got to him. She drove him nuts, he couldn’t wait to see her and talk to her about the dance. 

Tess came out of her room and saw Kyle grinning like an idiot and figured that he got who he wanted and was a little miffed, but she was planning on having some fun with Deluca, she thought with a slightly evil smile.   
“Hey Buddha boy who did you get?”   
Kyle jumped a little not hearing Tess enter the room, he grinned and said “Emily”   
Tess bounced down on the couch next to him “Cool, I know that’s who you wanted. I am happy for you.”   
“Thanks sis.” Kyle says as Tess lays her head on his shoulder and they watch cartoons. 

~*~ 

Later that night as Michael arrived at work he could feel the tension in the air, Maria was there tonight with Liz and something was definitely wrong. Then he realized that Liz had probably already told Maria about them matching up, this was a Hurricane Deluca night. 

Michael walked in to the break room to change his shirt and she pounced “I’ll bet you are thrilled about getting Liz aren’t you, you never could take you eyes off her. You were always looking at her, staring at her, in fact I think that you like her more than you ever liked me!” Maria raged “Here I get stuck with Tess fuck me Harding and you get exactly what you want. How fair is that!” 

Michael stood there and let her yell, let her rage it was the only thing to do when she was like this and besides she was right, he did like Liz more, in fact he was sure he loved Liz and he knew that he had never loved Maria. As she slowly started to wind down Michael spoke up “Maria you are right about a few things. I did watch Liz a lot, I can explain why too.” His voice was sincere and earnest as he spoke about his feeling, something that was never easy for him to do, so Maria quieted down to listen.   
“You see I have always liked Liz, I liked you too and I had fun being with you but what I feel for her is different, it is stronger. It is.., I think, well I might love her. I don’t want you to be angry; I just need to tell you what I was feeling.” 

Maria was stunned, floored Michel had just validated her every jealousy, but his honesty had taken the wind out of her sails, she had never heard him speak so freely before. She stepped closer to him “Did you really ever care about me or are you just saying that?” her voice was quite and insecure.   
“Yes I did, I do, and I still want you to be my friend, just stop calling me space boy, I hate that.” Michael had put his hand on Maria’s shoulder and was using a soft caring tone that she rarely heard come from him.   
Maria started to cry a little “I’ll always here and I promise to be a better friend, I want you to be happy, does she make you happy?”   
Michael smiled the biggest smile Maria had ever seen Michael smile and said “Don’t answer that I can see she does.” then promptly hugged him.   
Michael was stunned too, he had never expected such generosity from Maria, he never expected her to accept all this without flipping out, but then it was Maria and you never knew what to expect. 

~*~ 

Neither knew that Liz had accidentally overheard the entire conversation, she had been worried about Michael because of how Maria reacted earlier and went to check to see if he was ok, and had heard he name. The she was rooted into place as she heard the rest, unable to tear herself away as she heard Michael confess that he cared for her, had always cared for her. Liz smiled to herself as she thought that work tonight had just got more interesting.

Tess was standing in front of her closet trying to decide what to wear, she wanted to look hot, edible, and she was out for war. Maria wouldn’t know what hit her, and Tess was going to have fun, she wasn’t gay, but why not play up the mistake to piss off that Deluca bitch. She grabbed a pair of hip hugger jeans that were new and a backless baby blue tank top, to set off her eyes. She used a little alien magic to fix her hair and make-up, and then headed to the CrashDown 

~*~ 

Michael didn’t know why the gods hated him but they obviously did, every time he turned around Liz was bending over and damn if she wasn’t wearing a thong, he was going to die. If he didn’t know better he would think she was doing it on propose, but why would she do that? 

After over hearing Maria and Michael Liz decided to have a little fun herself, she snuck upstairs and put on her new thong and tiny half-cup lacy bra that matched, they were black. When she went back downstairs, she decided to have some fun of her own. 

She bent over in front of him every chance she got. This last time she needed to get some straws to “drop” she heard him groan loudly. from the corner of her eye, she saw him turn quickly away. She laughed to herself, and decided to be a little evil. 

“Michael are you ok, you look flushed?” 

Michael loved Liz with all his heart but at that moment he wanted to kill her, he was dying inside, if he saw that thong one more time he was going to lose it and toss her against a wall, which would be a bad, bad thing right now. 

“No Liz I am fine” he replied tersely   
Liz tried not to smile as she walked into the kitchen, “But Michael you look ill.” She reached up to feel his forehead.   
Michael stifles another groan and jerks away “You know we don’t get sick.” 

Liz is starting to grin, she can’t help it, and as Michael seesher grin, he wonders what is going on.   
“Liz, what are you up to?” he starts to move toward her she slowly backs away knowing she is busted. 

“Nothing” she is smiling like a minx and Michael suddenly groans again 

“You heard me talking to Maria didn’t you?” He said with a grin, but still mad that she was eavesdropping. 

Liz nods and smiles shyly as she steps closer to him placing her hands on his chest, “I did, and I wish that you would have said something to me about it, because I like you too. I have for awhile now and since we started talking more, well…” 

Michael was stunned, he never thought she would already like him, he thought he would have to win her over, pursue her. It was like a gift, a precious gift.   
“I never thought that you could like someone like me.” His tone was getting more serious. 

“What do you mean someone like you, you are wonderful, talented, smart, and funny when you want to be. I always feel safe when I am with you.” Liz’s tone had changed to slightly agitated. 

“You are always putting yourself down, and you shouldn’t because you are a wonderful person who cares about his friends and will do anything to protect them. That is not the trait of a loser, and if you were such as loser why would I like you?” 

Michael didn’t know what to say, , so he just reached out and did what he had been wanting to do for so long, he held Liz Parker in his arms. 

When Tess arrived at the CrashDown she could feel a shift in the air, everyone seemed different Michael and Liz were grinning at each other. Maria mixed smiling at them fondly with an evil glare at the sloe-eyed Pam Troy, who was currently trying to hang all over Max. This was going to be a good night. Tess sauntered over to Max’s booth and looked at the pained expression covering his face and decided to rescue him.   
“Get lost bitch” Tess said in her best I am the queen don’t fuck with me voice.   
Pam looked at her and was actually taken aback, she opened her mouth to speak and Tess cut her off, 

“Don’t even speak you breath is as rank as that outfit, leave skank!” Pam slunk away wondering what got into Tess and pulling out her Cell she decided to call her friends to dish.   
Max let out a heavy sigh of relief “Thank you so much Tess she was plastered all over me I couldn’t get rid of her. She doesn’t understand the word no!” 

Tess laughed “No problem Max, it is all in the job description as your former wife.” 

Max laughed glad that they had both put their destinies behind them and moved on, he actually had grown to like her since that had happened. 

“So what are you up to tonight?” Max asked with curiosity. 

“Me I am here to see my woman, apparently she is perfect for me.” Tess let out a throaty laugh.   
That was when Max knew Maria was in trouble, Tess was going to yank her chain, and he wasn’t going to sit and watch. 

“Well that would be my cue to leave then, have fun.” He said sliding out of the booth. 

Tess sat back and watched Maria work. She was at her table and was waiting for service, so she decided to move to the counter for a better view of the action.   
Maria realized that she now had to wait on her. 

“Tess what can I get you” Maria tried to sound nice but it wasn’t working. 

“Well…I’ll take a cherry coke” As Maria turned around to get it for her Tess decided to start her campaign. 

“I was thinking about the talk we had the other day.” She said slyly. 

“What talk?” Maria’s voice was leery 

“The one where you said I must be a lousy kisser.” She pretended to sound hurt. 

“Oh why?” Maria did not like where this conversation was headed. 

“Well it will be your job to help me get better now cause we are going to the dance and well we are matched right.” Tess said as earnestly as possible. 

Maria’s face went red as she threw the cherry coke at Tess, she screamed “In your dreams you whore, I’ll never kiss you, or even touch you, you make me sick!” 

Tess was covered in sticky cola she looked around to make sure there weren’t any on lookers, and dissolved the mess into nothing. 

Tess turns to Maria just as Liz and Michael come running out to see what is wrong. They over hear her remarks to Maria. 

“Maria” she pauses 

“You seem to forget that I am able to make you do what I want, if I want you to kiss me you will, but I would rather you be willing; since I know you want it so badly I can tell by the way you are acting I am willing to wait.” Her tone triumphant and her smile a mile wide as she turns to leave, content that she has sufficiently rattled Maria for tonight.

Thursday morning was a thankful uneventful day as far as everyone was concerned, Maria was able to avoid Tess all day. This put her in a very good mood. Max however felt violated; he spent the entire day fending off Pam Troy’s roaming hands, what the hell was she an octopus? 

He was on his way through the almost empty halls when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. His first thought was the FBI and he started to panic, the person assaulting him had the strength of a W.W.F wrestler. When he realized he was being dragged in to a darkened Eraser room. He jumped at the sight of Pam Troy, he secretly wished it had been the FBI.

“Max” Pam said in her most seductive tone “So nice of you to join me.” 

Max rushed to shake the door handle only to find it jammed. His palms were sweating, and his ego was bruised. What did he do to deserve this? 

“Don’t worry Max we have plenty of time.” As she said this she started to run her hands over his chest and unbutton his shirt. Max tried to slap her hand away, but Pam was determined. 

“Pam you really don’t want to do this?” Max’s tone was one of pure panic and terror.   
Pam had almost removed his shirt “Oh but Max I do.” As she smiled at him. 

Max knew that he was trapped and dignity fled at that moment. He pushed Pam aside and started to beat on the door as she tried to snake her hands around his waist and unzip his pants. 

“Help somebody HELP ME” he screamed at the top of his lungs. Without realizing it, He backed himself further into a corner. 

Pam yanked on him and ripped his shirt off the rest of the way, she racked her nails over his chest and purred “Now Max behave this won’t hurt a bit, unless you want it to.”   
Just as she managed to undo his belt Tess opened the door, she grabbed Pam by the hair and threw her out in to the hall. 

“Okay Bitch I told you to keep you trampy hands off of him, what do I have to do smack you around?” Tess was screaming at the top of her lungs. Max was relieved, he felt safe now that she was here. 

Pam stood up and brushed off her skirt, fluffed her hair and then launched herself at Tess. They both slammed to the floor with a grunt of pain. Tess rolled to Pam and jumped on top of her, slamming her fist in to Pam’s nose. Blood spurted everywhere as Pam howled in pain and yanked Tess’ hair. Tess smacked away Pam’s hand and punched her in the right eye, at the same time Pam rolled and moved so Tess’ hand hit the floor. 

Tess screamed “Fuck” as she lunged to Pam again. Pam managed to kick Tess in the stomach, from her prone position. Tess curled into a fetal ball momentarily and then recovered to bitch slap Pam across the left cheek. Just as Pam went to lunge at Tess again two teachers ran up to pull them off the floor. Pam still manages to hit Tess in the right eye before they are totally separated. 

Pam starts hollering “Tess hit me for no freaking reason; I was just minding my own business.”   
Mr. Patterson an 11th grade ELA teacher was holding Pam as she ranted. Max was a bit dazed, a shocked look on his face, suddenly snapped to life. 

Max walked over to Mr. Kittleson who was holding Tess and spoke up. 

“Sir, Pam was assaulting me and Tess was trying to help, I don’t believe in hitting girls but as you see Pam was ripping my off clothes.” Max’s face was red and his tone filled with shame. The teachers took one good look at Max and Mr. Kittleson let go of Tess. However Mr. Patterson started to drag Pam to the office. Pam started to yell at Tess and Max “What are you a bunch of alien freaks, Max it is just sex for crying out loud. You repressed loser.” 

Tess looked at Max and started to laugh, Max looked indignant for a minute but then he too broke down. 

“So you want me to take you home so you can clean up before we meet everyone else at The CrashDown?” 

“Max, after what I just did for you IDamn! Well better get a ride.” Max swung his arm around Tess and they walked in a comfortable silence to the parking lot. 

 

Chapter10 

 

As Tess walked into The CrashDown to meet the rest of the gang she very self-conscious of her black eye and thankful that she was at least able to fix the hair that Pam had pulled out. Max looked at her reassuringly as he held the door open for her he said “Don’t worry about it Tess you look fine she didn’t land that great of a punch.” He smiled 

“I just wish I could heal it, I feel ridiculous.” She said with embarrassment. 

“Well I have to say I am thankful you rescued me, I wasn’t sure what to do.”   
Tess and Max looked at each other then burst out laughing, at that moment the rest of the gang looked over toward them. 

“Oh my god Tess what happened?” Liz cried out in concern her question was echoed by the rest.   
“Well it is like this… I had to defend Max’s virtue from Pam, she locked him in the Eraser room and tried to have her wicked way with him” Tess laughed as she spoke; Max however turned several shades of red.   
He looked over at Tess and said “I thought we could have kept that part quite” 

Michael, Kyle and Alex took one look at Max’s face and burst out laughing. Max looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole as Tess recounted the details to everyone. 

“Yeah I heard him screaming and when I opened the door his eyes were like panic stricken. Pam had his shirt ripped off and her hands down the front of his pants. I thought he was going to have a heart attack.” 

“Oh My God are you serious, Max are you okay?” Maria walked over to him her eyes and face filled with concern, she was the only one not laughing. 

“Yeah Max was little Pam to much for you to handle” Kyle asked sarcastically as he waggled his eyebrows, Michael seemed to think the whole situation was hilarious because every time he looked at Max he started to laugh again. Isabelle just sat there smiling while shaking her head; all the while she was desperately trying not to laugh at her brother’s unmanly display. Alex was practically on the floor and Liz while Liz was laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe. 

“Thanks Kyle, tell me would you really want to have Pam Troy physically dragging you away and trying to have her way with you?” Max was trying to keep a serious face, after all they were having a laugh at his expense but he too lost it. 

“Okay it was funny and you should have seen Tess kick her ass. She just yanked her by the hair and started to pound her.” Kyle looked over at his sister and smile “Way to go Barbie, I am proud.” 

Isabelle decided to break up the laugh fest, after all there was shopping to do. They needed to get to the mall to look for dresses for the dance and they needed to do it yesterday.   
“Alright we need to go if we want to get any shopping in at all, plus Emily is meeting us there, we don’t want to be late.” Isabelle pointed to her watch, the shopping nazi was coming out already. 

Kyle perked up at Emily’s name and started grinning like an idiot. Michael noticed and smacked him in the back of the head. “Hey what was that for?”   
“Because oh short and stumpy one you were ginning like an ass.”   
“What ever fuzzy just leave me and my grinning alone.” Kyle smiled still thinking about Emily. 

As the girls all gathered their stuff to leave Michael went over to Liz, snagged her by the waist and turned her around. He smiled down at her, still having a hard time believing she liked him, and leaned down to kiss her on the fore head. She smiled up at him, knowing that he wasn’t into public displays of affection so she felt lucky. They hugged for a second unaware that everyone was watching them. 

“Hey have a good time and don’t let Is talk you in to something you don’t want.” Michael smiled at her.   
“I won’t, you have fun with the guys.” She smiled back. 

“I will” he kissed her forehead again and was about to really kiss her when... 

“Alright lurch let her go; we really don’t want to see all this.” Kyle said laughing at his friend’s behavior   
Michael glared at him, and let Liz go. She smiled and waved to him as she walked to her doom with the Shopping Nazi.

Isabelle loved to shop, she considered herself to be a fashion maven.   
She had an uncanny knack for knowing what would look good on someone. And there were several victims with her in desperate need of her considerable skills. 

She looked over her victims and knew exactly where they needed to go. Gabriele’s was a small exclusive boutique that would suit everyone. She lined the girls up, her first victim Emily Martin. It would take a lot of time and effort, but she was sure she could work with it. 

Isabelle led everyone into the boutique and started to search the racks of top of the line clothing. She found a dress for Maria right away, a floor length spaghetti strap black dress. 

“Maria here this is perfect for you, go try it on.” Her tone left no room for choice, so Maria smartly complied. As Maria left, Is started to paw through the clothes like a mad woman, Tess, Liz and Emily were looking at her with shock. She grabbed a dress to hold up in front of Emily, as she stared at it she pursed her lips and made mumbling noises. 

“I like this dress.”   
“Well that settles it; it won’t due at all then.” 

Isabelle hung it back up and continued her quest. Emily was shocked she couldn’t believe her friend had said that. Liz looked at her stunned expression and put her arms around Emily shoulders.   
“Don’t worry Em this is what it is like to go shopping with Isabelle, she is The Shopping Nazi.” Liz was whispering   
“I heard that Liz and your turn is coming up” Liz’s expression turned to one of panic Tess and Emily then started to laugh, at Liz’s expression.   
“Oh My God Isabelle this dress is perfect! I love it” Maria cried as she came out of the dressing room. She looked stunning; the dress accented her coloring and hair. Just as Maria was fawning over her dress. 

Is shrieked “I have it!” she ran over to Emily and dragged her into a dressing room. 

When they came out, Emily was wearing a lovely forest green sheath, it clung to her curves and made her auburn hair shine. Is turned Emily toward a mirror and she was speechless.   
“Is that me, wow that can’t be me?” Her voice soft and shocked.   
Tess, Liz and Maria came over; they were amazed by the sudden change.   
“Emily you are going to kill Kyle in that dress.” Maria stated grinning ear to ear.   
“Yeah he is going to be blown away it is perfect.” Tess said. 

Liz hugged the girl and said “Emily you look beautiful.” 

“Alright Liz, Tess lets get to work.” As she said this she dragged them back to the racks, while Emily and Maria looked on and laughed. 

“Ok Liz I think this is perfect for you.” Isabelle handed her a burgundy halter-top and matching mid-calf ballet skirt. This is a great color for you. Now I know the perfect shoes for this too. Why are you still standing here go try it on?” Isabelle ordered as she pushed the shorter girl toward the dressing room. Emily and Maria were just coming out holding their dresses and saw the outfit Liz was holding. 

“Oh Liz that is a great color.”   
“That is a beautiful dress.” Emily fawned 

Just then Isabelle squealed” Oh my God I have my dress!” In her hands was a knee length red strapless dress, it would fit Isabelle like a second skin and she knew it. She set it a side to continue to search for Tess when Tess tapped Isabelle on the shoulder. She was holding a midnight blue backless dress, the collar wrapped around the neck and was sleeveless Isabelle was stunned it was perfect. 

“Tess that is the perfect dress for you, I absolutely love it.” Tess beamed with joy, having fallen in love with the dress the second she saw it. 

After everyone paid for their dresses and all the accessories were purchased they all decided to go have dinner at the food court. Tess was standing in line for pizza when she was tapped on the shoulder; she turned around to look at the incredible blue eyes of Tate Donavon. She gave him a genuine smile, as she thought he was quite hot and waited for him to speak. 

“Hey Tess, how are you and what happened to your eye? Are you alright?” his voice was filled with concern. 

Tess had forgotten about her eye, she winced as she remembered what it looked like 

“I was defending Max’s virtue from that slut Pam Troy.” Her voice was filled with laughter. Tate was confused but let it drop he was just happy to be with her.   
“So what are you doing here?”   
“Dress shopping, and you?   
“Getting something to wear to the dance too.” They both laughed   
Tate decided that now was as good of time as any so he asked “Tess I was wondering if I could ask you a question?” 

She smiled at him while thinking he was cute when he was nervous and replied “Sure.”   
“I was hoping you would save me a dance Saturday and I was also hoping you would go to a movie with me sometime?” his blue eyes stared earnestly in to hers as he waited.   
“Tate I would love to.” Tate was about to say something else when Liz walked up to Tess and asked if she was ready to go eat.   
“I’ll call you soon okay?   
“That would be great Tate. Later” 

“Tess he is cute, and he asked you out, yummy.” Liz waggled her eyebrows ala Kyle. Tess started to laugh at that “You spend too much time with Kyle and Michael; you are starting to act like them.” Liz laughed too as they walked to their table.

Kyle, Max, Alex and Michael were all eating and talking about the dance among other things. They were relaxing and just enjoying being guys, they knew thatwithout a doubt Isabelle would try to dress them too. 

“So Max my Man what are you going to do about the leech otherwise known as Pam?” Kyle asked with a chuckle. The others laughed still thinking about what Tess had told them earlier. 

“I don’t know I just know there is no way in hell I am going to the dance with her, she scares me.” Max shuddered 

“Hey I know what you mean as funny as it is there is no way I would want to be alone with her” Alex concurred, while Michael smacked him on the back of the head. 

“What was that for?” Alex asked with annoyance 

“For agreeing with Max, she is scary but she might loosen you up.” Michael said wearing his trade mark smirk. Kyle nodded in agreement 

“I’m with Sasquach, you need to seriously remove the stick from you ass. Your body is a temple but you don’t need to live like a monk” Kyle laughed. Michael glared at Kyle over the comment but decide to get him later. 

“Yeah well Pam is not my idea of fun.” Max’s tone was deadly serious 

“So who is?” Alex asked curiously, as everyone perked up to hear Max’s answer.   
Max glanced over at Michael nervously, and then turned red before speaking, 

“Um I kind of have someone in mind.” 

“Well don’t keep us in the dark spill it” Kyle was eager to know. 

“I ah…well I am not sure if she likes me so...” 

“Maxwell just spit it out.” Michael said with irritation. 

“Oh all right IkindalikeMaria.” he said all at once. 

“Did you just say Maria?” Alex asked grinning from ear to ear. 

Michael was stunned, then immediately decided that they would be perfect together. Well Kyle looked like a gapping fish. 

“Yeah Maria” Kyle Chuckled to himself. 

“Hey” Michael leaned closer to Max “Just treat her right.” 

Max started to grin he had thought that Michael would be upset, even though he was with Liz now. “Thanks” he said as he lightly punched him in the arm. 

“The same goes for Liz you know that right?” 

Michael smiled and just nodded. 

“Okay enough of that now would the dwarf like to enlighten us about his date?” Michael said smirking Kyle, getting him back for his earlier comment. 

“Dwarf?” Kyle just smiled and said “Emily is perfect, we talked today and she is exactly what I want, she is even in to Buddha.” Out of a sense of self-preservation the guys groaned collectively, then Alex spoke up. 

“Dude you promised no Buddha tonight.” 

“I won’t I was just saying that she is in to him too.” The guys sighed with relief. They had extracted the promise from Kyle while Michael held him in a choke hold several weeks ago, when the Buddha comments got to be too much. 

“We talked at lunch today and she is different then the girls from around here and she is into sports. I just can’t explain it I feel like I have known her for years.” 

Michael gave Kyle a funny look as he spoke “You sound like a chick.” Max and Alex laughed as Kyle turned pink. 

“Yeah well all I know is the minute I met her I knew it was all over. You all know how I feel about destiny, but I just know she is mine.” 

Max, Alex and Michael stared at him in stunned silence, not knowing what else to say.

Isabel could hardly believe it was Saturday already, since the trip to the mall; time had flown, and was thankfully peaceful. Although she didn’t feel so at peace, she watched Liz and envied her happiness, she wondered if it was that easy to let someone in. To be happy, she loved Alex she knew that with out a doubt but she wasn’t Liz, she would never let him in. Looking at her dress for the evening and knew like every other guy; Alex would be putty in her hands, it was that simple. 

“Kyle don’t tell me you are wearing that tonight?” Tess said in horrified tone   
“What’s wrong with that? And get your head out of my closet because I’m wearing that, this is who I am and Emily likes me for me.” 

Tess stepped out of Kyle’s closet as he asked and knew he was right, Emily was special, and she was the kind of girl you didn’t have to pretend with. She was perfect for her brother. She walked over to Kyle and hugged him, laying her head on his shoulder for a second. 

“If she hurts you they’ll never find the body, you know that right?” Her tone was less than innocent.   
“Yeah sis I know that” he chuckled “you’re a bad ass.” Pointing to her black eye to prove his point.   
Tess smacked Kyle in the back of the head   
“Get out unless you want to see the goods” she stated as she grabbed the hem of her shirt.   
Kyle held up both hands and backed out of the room, “That’s so wrong.” And shut the door.   
“Yeah but you left!” Tess yells through the door as she started getting ready for the dance. 

*~* 

Emily knocked on the Parker’s front door, more than a little nervous, Liz was nice and she liked her but she didn’t know her all that well yet. Emily still didn’t understand what prompted her to take Liz up on her invitation to get ready for the dance at her house. Liz opened the door and smiled warmly. 

“Hi Emily I was wondering when you were going to get here, come on lets head to my room.” Liz took Emily’s bag and led her away. 

“Thank you for inviting me Liz,” 

Liz cut her off; she wanted her to know how much she liked her “It is ok Emily, I am glad you said yes. I know we don’t know each other well yet but Kyle is one of my best friends. So I figured we had better get to be good friends.” Liz smiled at the other girl.   
Emily smiled too, happy that she was finding her place in Roswell. 

 

Across town Michael looked at the clothes Isabel badgered him into getting and threatened him with painful things if he didn’t wear them. He smiled and thought about how a week ago he never would have even thought he would be going anywhere with Liz, now he couldn’t imagine going with out her. She had better like these clothes or Isabel was going to hear about it, Michael thought as he climbed into the shower. 

 

Maria was looking at her dress bemoaning the fact that Tess was her date, granted they were getting along better, but she was going to look smoking hot tonight. Why couldn’t she get a guy or why couldn’t she have gotten Max. That was who she really wanted; she shook her head and began to do her hair. Oh well she planned on having fun no matter what.

~*~ 

Tate was less than excited; he barely knew his date and wasn’t attracted to her at all. His only hope was that he could hook up with some of his friends and have some fun. He sighed sadly as he pawed threw his closet looking for something to wear. He wished once again that Tess had been his match, but at least he had talked to her. That was a start. He perked up as he thought about tonight maybe he would ask her to dance, he pulled out some of the nicer things hanging in the back of his closet and decided they would work, yep maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

 

Pam shimmied into her micro-mini and matching halter top. She turned around to look at herself in the mirror, damn there was no way Max could turn her down now. It was bad enough she had to do some fast talking to even go to the dance cause of the eraser room incident. Max really needed to loosen up, and she was just the woman to help him, she thought as she grinned at herself in the mirror again. 

Max sat forlornly on his bed, this was going to be a long night. His only hope was that some how, some way he would get kidnapped on the way to the dance, or maybe arrested even that would work. A whole evening with Pam Troy, had he been that bad of a King in his last life, had he been that much of an ass. While if he listened to anything Kyle said it was all Karma, and his apparently sucked. With all the joy of a man facing his own execution Max stood up and started to get dressed, if he was lucky maybe some evil aliens from home would show up to destroy him.

Mr. Parker came and knocked on Liz’s bedroom door to let her and Emily know that the boy’s were there. Liz and Emily glanced at each other nervously, and then giggled. They had grown closer over the last few hours and both knew how the other was feeling. They walked down stairs to meet their dates happy that this moment had finally come. 

Michael and Kyle were laughing they looked up the moment they heard footsteps. Both boys’ were stunned into silence. Liz‘s outfit had Michael’s mouth going dry and his hands damp. He had never seen her look like this. She was wearing a burgundy and black halter top blouse that was held together with tiny stings in the back, the matching ballet shirt went almost to her calves .The shoes drove Michael nuts they were tiny, black with three inch heels and straps that wrapped around Liz’s calves. She was trying to kill him; he knew that Isabel was behind the outfit, he would have to thank her later. 

Meanwhile Liz was having the same reaction to Michael’s attire; he was wearing a pair of black dress pants, she hadn’t even known he owned dress pants and a blue button down shirt that made him look yummy. The shirt was hanging out of his pants and he had on his Doc Martins but who cared, she didn’t. 

 

Emily walked down behind Liz and Kyle lost all power of speech, she looked beautiful and he told her so. Her forest green sheath set off her auburn hair, plus her wonderful green eyes. 

Kyle ever the cowboy was wearing a western style shirt, a bolo tie and blue jeans. Emily was in love; she had a thing for cowboys and was glad that Kyle was just being himself. 

Michael went to Liz and took her hand and thrilled her around, whistling as he did so, Liz blushed and smiled. Pulling her close to him then whispered in her ear “You look so beautiful, I can’t believe you are mine.”   
Liz looked up at him and saw the sincerity burning behind his eyes “Funny I was thinking the same thing.” 

Kyle never the one for subtlety or tact said “Ok lets get this show on the road, I can’t wait to see what Pam decided to wear or how Max handles her.” Everyone started to laugh as they walked out to Kyle’s car.   
~*~ 

Alex was nervous, more nervous then he would ever admit to. Tonight was his last ditch effort, his final play and if Isabel didn’t respond then he was going to have to try to move on. Yeah that would be easy. He Knocked on the Evan’s door and smiled at Max when he opened it.   
“Hey man how’s it going?”   
“Do you really want to know Alex or do you want me to lie to you?” Max replied his voice slightly despondent. Alex chuckled and put his arm around Max. 

“Just think Max after tonight it will all be over.”   
“That is exactly what I am afraid of, say man you want to do me a favor, and please, I am begging you don’t say no.” Max’s tone was more than a little despite now. “Would you let me and Pam ride with you and Is, I am supposed to pick Pam up and I do not want to be alone with her.”   
Alex repressed the urge to laugh “Yeah sure it is no problem Max.”   
“Oh thank you, I am forever in your debt.” Max sighed with relief “I’ll go get Is for you.” 

“Thanks” 

Alex said as Max walked off her nerves starting to get the better of him again, he loved her so much why couldn’t she just let him in. He sighed in frustration so caught up in his own thoughts that he missed Isabel make her grand entrance. She looked at him fidgeting with his guitar pick and felt a wave of love that she quickly repressed, and then loudly cleared her throat. Alex’s eyes flew up when he heard Isabel, and suddenly all thought fled from his mind. There she was his beautiful Goddess, he felt his throat tighten, and his mind go soft. He loved how she looked in red. 

He walked to her and kissed her cheek “Isabel you look amazing, I am speechless” Isabel smiled at Alex’s reaction, putty just like she planned. 

“Thanks Alex, are we ready to go? Max said he was riding with us and we had to go get Pam.” Alex grinned at her. 

“Yeah I like it when your brother begs.” He laughed 

“Hey I heard that smartass.” 

“Yeah I know, now lets go get your woman.”   
“Alex you will pay for that” menace seeped into Max’s tone. 

“Yeah, Yeah Max that’s what they all say.” Alex laughed as he opened the door and lead Isabel out to his father’s car.   
They drove in silence to Pam’s house, Max’s tension was palpable. When they arrived he was muttering under his breathe, but Alex and Is couldn’t understand him. He walked up to Pam’s door with all the cheer of a death row inmate taking his last stroll. He stood in front of the door and as he was getting ready to knock Pam flew out it. She leapt at Max forcing him to catch her, quickly dropping her to her feet he looked at her outfit with revulsion. 

“Lets get this farce over with I have better things to do.”

Maria was dressed and looking forward to the dance now that she was ready, she looked damn fine and that cheered her up considerably. She arrived at the Valenti’s to pick up Tess on time, which was unusual for her. Knocking on the door she felt strange, her date was Tess, she chuckled to herself, which was still hard to wrap her mind around. Tess opened the door and was amazed at how she looked. 

“Tess you look incredible.” Her blonde hair pinned up, and the backless blue dress looked killer on her. 

Tess smiled “Thanks Maria so do you. Are we ready?” Maria nodded and they walked to the Jetta. 

“So do you think Pam will behave tonight or should we mess with her some more?” Maria asked in a mischievous tone. 

Tess grinned and thought for about five seconds “I think she needs to be punished some more.” And laughed. Tess stared at Maria while she drove and suddenly said “You like Max don’t you?” 

“What? Why do you say that?” Maria started to panic; she didn’t want anyone to know that. 

“While it is just the way you react when he is around or when he is mentioned, you do don’t you? Come on Maria we are starting to get along well so tell me the truth.” 

“Alright yes are you happy, I like him, a lot.” Maria’s voice was terse. 

Tess smiled as they pulled in the school parking lot “I think he likes you too, and that you would be good for him. I think you should go for it Maria.” 

Maria stared at Tess in stunned silence, not knowing what to say for a moment. 

“Thanks Tess, that means a lot to me, coming from you. But I am not sure what I want to do about it yet.” And got out of the car. 

~*~ 

Pam was going to be the death of him, he was sure of it. She was strangling him, trying to stick her tongue down his throat, in fact Max was seriously considering swearing off all women he was so disgusted. 

“Pam what part of the word NO don’t you understand? Is it to hard of a concept for you?” Max was irritated enough that he was starting to lose his temper, and if he did it wouldn’t be pretty. Pam was still clinging to him like Saran Wrap when Maria and Tess walked up. 

“Hey Tess do you smell that?” 

“Yeah Maria what is that rotten odor?” 

Maria sniffs delicately by Pam then wrinkles her nose “Damn Pam is that you, what the hell did you do play in the garbage before you came?” Pam’s face turns red, as she moves away from Max and toward Tess and Maria. 

Suddenly Isabel and Liz are there too “Don’t even think about it Pam.” Liz says in a tone that has the others looking at her strangely, Pam included. “I have had about enough of you and all your antics, in fact we all have.” Liz waves her hand toward the whole group. “Max has told you to back off, Tess kicked your ass,” Pam’s eyes go wide as she starts to sputter, “Now I think it is time you realize you just aren’t wanted here bitch and go find something else to play with.” Pam’s mouth is hanging open, her whole body ridged with shock at the way Liz spoke to her, as she watched the other’s, Max included walk away. 

“Liz I can’t believe you.” Said Maria as everyone started to speak at once, Michael just pulled her close as they walked and said “Yeah remind me to never piss you off okay?” 

 

Max put his hand on Liz’s arm, glancing quickly at Michael then back to Liz. 

“Liz, thanks you are a great friend, I am lucky to have you.” Max hugs her, Liz smiles as he does and hugs him back, glad that they are okay. 

“Okay Maxwell get you paws off her she is my woman now.” Michael said in a cheerful tone. Max lets go and punches Michael in the arm. 

“Man after that display you are welcome to her.” He laughs, and looks at Liz as she mock frowns, Max holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender and everyone cracks up. 

They all start to walk into the gym, happy to be together, and happy to be at the dance they have been looking forward to for days.

_I say I love you, I say I need you_  
I try so many ways to say how my heart beats for you  
I say I am always thinking of you  
There’s no way I’d want to face this life without you  
And even though these words come from deep inside of me  
There’s so much more I don’t have the words to say 

The song floated in the air, touching and caressing Liz as she stared into Michael’s eyes. She was wrapped in his arms, it was the place she most enjoyed being. Ever since they found out they both cared for each other, all Liz wanted to do was be held by Michael. His arms made her feel safe and loved, in a way she never had before, it was a feeling she never wanted to lose. The song that was playing was reading her mind , she desperately wanted him and not just for tonight, she wanted forever. She knew that he was the one who would always be there, the one who would protect her. 

Liz knew without a doubt that she loved Michael, body and soul. 

Michael was in heaven. There was no place he would rather be at that moment then in Liz’s arms. You couldn’t pay him to leave. The way she was looking at him, he felt like he held the world and that the world was her. He knew she loved him as he loved her. It was a tangible thing, he would be unable to explain how he knew, but he did. He knew that this was what he had always searched for, always longed for, always desired, a home and it resided in the small girl he desperately loved. 

_Cause what I really want to say_  
Is what the sun would say to the say to the sky  
For giving it a place to come alive  
But my words get in the way  
Of what I really want to say  
Oh, I really want to say 

Michael decided that now was the time to act, and the look she was giving was him was an open invitation, letting him know she felt the same. It was all over her face as it was in his. 

“Liz you know I care for you, but what I really need to say is that I love you, and I always have I—” 

And his speech was cut off by a gentle finger being placed on his lips. Liz was smiling, and there were tears of joy in her eyes. Michael wrapped his arms around her tighter, pulling her as close as possible. They were no longer dancing, they were just hugging, lost in each other. 

Liz tells him in an emotion filled voice, “I love you too, you are everything I want, and more, you complete me.” 

Tears were openly running down her face. She was so happy to be able to love him and be loved by him, something that not long ago, she only dreamed of. Michael cupped her face with both his hands, tilted her chin and leaned down to kiss her; it was a soft, exploring kiss, it was gentle and passionate at the same time. It was everything a first kiss should be. 

_It’s like a fairy tale to great to be told_  
It’s something only my heart can show  
I’m gonna take my whole life to let you know  
Just to let you know what I really want to say 

Michael wanted to kiss Liz forever, but he knew that this was not the time, and wanted to continue to enjoy the feeling of holding the tiny young woman he loved so much. 

As the song ended, the D.J. announced that there would be a special performance by Alex Whitman. This surprised everyone, but most of all it surprised his date, Isabel. 

Alex walked up to the stage with his guitar and started to strum; his words were simple but make their way into Isabelle’s heart. “This is for Isabel, I love you.” 

The music he started to play was haunting as he began to sing…. 

_Some how you could always read my mind,_  
make me leave my troubles far behind.  
You crawled into my soul and made me whole. 

Isabel’s face grew pale at the ‘I love you’ and paled even further at the words Alex had started to sing. Alex wasn’t even looking, his eyes were closed as if he is possessed by the music. 

_The laughter and the tears all belong to you, everything you made me feel everything you threw away it all belongs to you  
My heart is bleeding in your hands; I don’t know what to do. You never even look behind you, you never even saw me fall. _

Tears slowly started to slide down Isabelle’s face. The words are breaking up the barrier she built around her heart, she started to feel the words and see the pain she had caused Alex because of her fears. Her defenses crumble, as she saw how much he truly loved her. 

_The laughter and the tears all belong to you, everything you made me feel everything you threw away it all belongs to you  
You keep throwing me away; you don’t even see that it is always me. My home is in you there is no going back. _

Alex had unshed tears in his now open eyes as he stared at Isabelle. Everything he felt is in his eyes, his voice, he was pouring his heart out at her feet, and for once seeing her respond, truly respond to him. His heart filled with joy as he continued to sing her song, love shining out from every pore of his body. 

_The laughter and the tears all belong to you, everything you made me feel everything you threw away it all belongs to you_

Isabel, in an uncharacteristic public display, was openly crying, almost sobbing as she ran to the young man she loved so much, and had refused for so long. 

No longer was she afraid. He owned her heart, he owned her soul and always would. There was no use in denying it anymore. No more hiding, he was the only man for her. He saw through every façade, every ploy to the true her and loved her in spite of it, because of it. She reached him on stage as he set down his guitar and stood. Before he could even speak she threw herself into his arms and whispered into his ear, “Alex I love you too. I am so sorry I waited so long to tell you, to see how much I hurt you.” 

Everyone including all their friends, were standing, watching the whole display and spontaneously started to clap. Alex and Isabelle looked at the crowd and both blushed. Alex being Alex, took a bow and led Isabel off stage to speak in private.

Max was alone. Pam had found him again after the dance started and they had fought over, well… everything. She said he was uptight and boring. That he didn’t know how to have fun and his friends were even weirder than he was. Pam told Max that he had been a waste of her time and effort, at which Max laughed. Pam more pissed off then ever stalked off to in her words “Find a real man.” 

Personally, Max didn’t care but he wondered how she had been his match and what that meant about his future with women. He noticed Maria was alone now too and decided to make a move. After all, what did he have to lose? 

_If I could tell you why  
The first time I saw her I could touch the sky _

Tate was happy to be finally holding Tess, to be dancing with her, to be given the chance to show her, to tell her how he felt. He couldn’t get over how right it felt, holding the petite blonde in his arms; she was so wonderful and full of spirit. He was completely in love with everything about her and needed to tell her. 

“Tess, would you like to get a drink?” 

She looked up into his beautiful blue eyes and wondered how she had gotten this lucky. Tate was such a wonderfully sweet guy. He genuinely cared about her and she was falling more than a little in love with him. 

“Yeah, that would be great. It’s hot in here,” she replied with a smile. 

As he took her hand to lead her away, he smiled in return and led her off the dance floor. 

_I turned to stone… and could not speak_  
She had the ability to make me weak  
Always wishing…always hoping 

Maria was fuming. Here she was, at the best dance of the year, alone! Her match was a girl, and she was straight! She was just about to leave, when Max appeared in front of her. 

“You get dumped too?” he nodded in the direction of Tess and Tate, and Pam and some linebacker from the football team. 

Maria nodded and laughed. “Not that Tess and I were going to fall in love and get married. I just thought after… well, we could have some fun while we were here.” 

Max had no idea of what the ‘after’ meant, but he let that slide, and decide to bite the bullet and ask.   
“Maria, would you like to dance?” 

To say she was surprised would be an understatement; to say she was pleased would be too. In fact, she had been quietly sliding into love with him for awhile, before she even noticed it herself... 

“Yes I would love to.” 

She took his hand as he led them to the dance floor. 

_That she’ll get the message from the_  
Bottom of my heart  
Let’s together …share forever 

To say that Tess was unaffected by Tate was a lie. She was attracted to him and she genuinely liked him. Why wouldn’t she? He was smart, funny, athletic and he was in love with her. What more could a girl want? She was leery though, because he was completely human, but he was worming his way further into her heart every second. 

He was hard to resist. He saw through her sarcasm, he saw it was a defense because she was alone, or almost. She was not alone as she used to be, she had friends now, even Maria. 

Tate wondered what was going through the beautiful blonde’s head. He hoped she liked him, he hoped she cared. He knew that to rush her would be unwise, but he had high hopes.

_I had to wait and just let her breathe  
That’s never been easy for a man to see_

Max had never before held Maria and was discovering the joy in it. He was terribly attracted to her and maybe a little in love, which was a new feeling, because it wasn’t for Liz; this new kind of love felt …better, more real. 

Maria was reveling in the sensations she was experiencing being held by Max. It was a place she had wanted to be for a really long time. 

Tate was unsure how to ask Tess the question he so desperately wanted to ask her. Her mind was closed to him, he couldn’t read her, so he decided to just be brave and ask. As he handed her a cup of punch he led her to a quiet table in the corner, he pulled the chair out for her. He stared at her for a long time, as if willing her to say something first. 

“Tess, I was wondering if you would like to go out with me, you know on a date?” he asked, his voice was filled with nerves and hope. 

_She moved slow… and took her time  
She kept me guessing what was on her mind _

Tess thought about it for a few seconds, although they felt like years to Tate, until she finally faced him with a big smile. 

“I would love to,” she answered honestly, a grin appearing on both of their faces. 

Both knew that this was the start of something unique and special, while Tess was not completely in love yet she was tumbling quickly. She knew that with Tate her heart would be safe. She couldn’t explain how she knew this, she just did. She felt that somehow she was were she was supposed to be. 

_It’s just a matter of time  
Let’s forever…be together_

The longer Max held Maria, the more Max knew that destiny was a crock and that he didn’t love Liz or want Tess. In fact, as he held Maria he knew that he never had. This annoying, stressed out, vibrant young woman was beginning to completely own his heart and he didn’t know when or how it happened. But he liked it. He was holding her close and she fit against him perfectly. Her head was on his shoulder and he felt if he died right now it would be okay because he was already in heaven. He knew he was going to move slow to let this thing between him and Maria grow, to get stronger, he was going to nurture it and take care of it, to not mess up. 

Similar thoughts were running through Maria’s head as she was in Max’s arms. While being held by him, she wondered how she could have ever thought that Michael was for her, he definitely belonged with Liz. It was so obvious now. Just like the fact that she belonged here. She sighed with content, glad that things were working out this way, she was happier than she had been in along time. 

_It’s just a matter of time  
It’s just a matter of time_

To say that Kyle was happy would be putting it mildly. Kyle felt like he could leap tall buildings, if Roswell had any. Kyle felt, for the first time in his life, complete. He felt that his whole life he had been waiting for Emily to appear, like everyone else was nothing compared to her. 

Maybe it’s intuition  
But some things you don’t question  
Like in your eyes  
I see my future in an instant  
And it goes  
I think I’ve found my best friend  
I know it sound more than a little crazy  
But I believe 

Kyle had known the minute that he had seen Emily that she was the one. It was something he couldn’t explain, there were no words and no great expressions, and there was just her and all she made him feel. When they had matched he knew that it was more than fate, it was that word thrown around that he truly hated but in a reality… it was destiny, his. 

I knew I loved you before I met you   
I think I dreamed you to life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting for you all my life 

Little did Kyle know that Emily’s thoughts were running parallel to his. She had been around, before she had not been such a nice girl and she was always empty. She did all the things she did to try to fill that place, that hole that was a bottomless pit. Buddha had replaced the pain with love but had not filled the hole. The moment she met Kyle, it was gone, she realized. It wasn’t a bottomless hole… there was just Kyle. She needed to meet him, to find him to fill it and she had never been happier. But she had never been more nervous. What if he didn’t feel it? What if he thought she was crazy? 

There were so many what ifs. 

There is no rhyme or reason only this sense of completion  
And in your eyes  
I see the missing pieces  
I’ve been searching for  
I think I’ve found my way home  
I know it might sound a little crazy  
But I believe 

Suddenly they looked in to each other’s eyes and all the doubt and fears fell away. They connected on a level deeper than any alien could; it was almost spiritual what they saw. 

Kyle saw Emily’s inner struggle with addictions, her longing for love, acceptance, the loneliness she had felt without him, and how she felt now, since she met him. How everything had flown away and been replaced by love for him. 

Emily saw how noble Kyle was, how strong, true and brave. She saw how he carried the weight of many secrets on him. She could see that it weighed on his soul and how it affected him, she could she that he had been changed somehow, that he was more than human, it didn’t scare her it just made her love him more, it made her embrace him more. 

Emily could see Kyle’s love for his friends, how special they all were to him, how different some of them were and Kyle’s need to protect them. She could see his vast endless love for her. It awed her, it floored her to be loved that way, and she knew how much she loved him but to be loved as much in return…. 

I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life

A thousand angels dance around you  
I’m complete now that I’ve found you 

As the song ended they drifted to the door to go outside. No words were needed, they had already said all they needed to, and they were together. 

That was all that mattered.

 

Alex led Isabel out to the bleachers and thought about what to say. She was still crying, the tears streaming down her face. It broke his heart to see her like that but he was relieved to have finally broken through her defenses. They sat down and he wrapped his arms around her, as she continued to sob. 

“Isabel, it is ok, I understand why you pushed me away, I am just glad you’re here with me now.” Alex rubbed her back and wiped the tears off her face. 

“Alex, I just love you so much and well…” She paused choking back a sob. 

“Isabel none of it matters anymore.” His tone soft and gentle as he leaned in and covered her lips with his. Isabel’s eyes widened with shock before she moved her hands into his hair and parted her lips beneath his. Alex started to deepen the kiss and as he did he heard some one beside him clear his throat. 

“So are you going to come up for air or spend all night with your tongue down my sister’s throat?” Max said his tone mockingly serious, his arm wrapped around a grinning Maria and the rest of the group, plus two standing not far behind. Isabel pressed her face into Alex’s shoulder trying to cover her chuckle, while Alex just grinned. 

“So why don’t we all head over to The Crash Down to get some food, it’s not like I’m cooking tonight.” Michael grinned at the gang as he held Liz, who was equally happy. 

“Sounds good” Tess came back with while turning toward Tate “your coming to right?” 

Tate couldn’t hold back his grin, he felt so lucky, and Tess was well wonderful in a word. “Where else would I go?” he answered looking at her as if she were the only one there. Tess moved closer to him and reached for his hand taking in hers, as she walked with him toward the parking lot. 

Kyle and Emile were wrapped in their own little world, floating, surrounded by the emotions they were feeling. Liz tapped Kyle on the shoulder startling him, “Are you two going with us?” 

“Emile?” Kyle asked and she nodded, while Liz tried not to smile at the cuteness of the two of them. 

“Yeah we are going.” 

“Cool” Said Max as he walked past holding Maria’s hand, then stopping slowly turning around to look at his friends. He saw each of them smiling, happy and with someone they cared about. Despite Destiny. Liz looked at him turning her head slightly as if she knew what he was thinking, she gave him a slow half smile. He knew at that moment they were all going to be fine, no mater what happened from this moment. Maria tugged at his hand and he smiled down at her as he let her lead him to the parking lot.


End file.
